ACCESS Linux Platform Demoed at 3GSM

ACCESS is featuring a number of ACCESS Linux Platform demonstrations in its booth at the 3GSM World Congress going on this week in Barcelona. ACCESS is showing ALP v1.0 running on Marvell PX3xx applications processor and the OMAP platform from Texas Instruments. They are also showing telephony, messaging and multimedia entertainment demos.

The company also announced that ACCESS Linux Platform is now the official name of its next-generation Linux-based software platform optimized for mobile phones and other converged mobile devices. In addition, ACCESS Garnet OS (also known as Palm OS Garnet) compatibility layer included with ACCESS Linux Platform, has been named ACCESS Garnet VM.

ACCESS has announced that the Product Development Kit (PDK) for ACCESS Linux Platform v1.0 is now available to licensees. The Company has also begun distributing a pre-release version of the Software Development Suite (SDK & Tools) and Garnet VM Compatibility Kit to a number of developers.

The PDK includes all the necessary components, tools, samples and documentation to develop customized mobile devices based on the ACCESS Linux Platform software including:

All platform components (including a Linux reference kernel)

Reference drivers and development kit

Application development kit

A complete Eclipse-based set of development tools

Documentation

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ACCESS Linux Platform Development Suite
The ACCESS Developer Network has released the ACCESS Linux Platform Development Suite (SDK & Tools) to a number of independent developers participating in the ACCESS Developer Network Early ACCESS Program. The Early ACCESS Program gives qualified third party developers access to pre-release technical and market development resources to accelerate innovation on ACCESS Linux Platform. Developers interested in participating in the Early Access Program may apply here.

ALP Demonstrations

Astraware
Astraware, the company that has developed a number of games for games for handheld devices will be showcasing one of its most popular games, Bejewled, running native on the ACCESS Linux Platform. Astraware will also demonstrate Solitare running native on the ACCESS Linux Platform at the show.

Marvell
The Marvell and ACCESS are highlighting the performance and cost optimization for high volume handheld devices enabled by the combination of the Marvell PXA320 (Monahan-P) and ACCESS Linux Platform. The Marvell PXA3xx family of application processors (internally named Monahans) based on third generation of Intel XScale technology was designed for cost efficiency by offering a broad roadmap that is architecturally consistent for maximum software re-use. Marvell silicon provides the headroom for advanced applications with intelligent power management allowing manufacturers to differentiate current and future offerings.

Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments is showing the OMAP3430 application processor, running ALP v1.0. This demonstration showcases the scalable, ultra low power and high performance of the OMAP processor and the open, flexible and customizable architecture of the ACCESS Linux Platform software. The OMAP3430 multimedia applications processor, the first member of TI’s OMAP 3 architecture is designed to enable laptop-like productivity and advanced entertainment in 3G handsets. The industry's first application processor to be designed in a 65-nanometer (nm) CMOS process, the OMAP3430 operates at a higher frequency than previous generation OMAP processors while lowering the core voltage and adding power reduction features.

The ACCESS booth is located in the Courtyard of the Fira de Barcelona in CY06. The 3GSM World Congress 2007 will be held Monday, February 12 – Thursday, February 15 at the Fira de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain.

More ALP and linux coverage from the show to follow at MobileLinuxInfo.com.Update: Additional details have been posted here.

Yawn?

If they are only now releasing the PDK, when can devices be expected? Next year?

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...Hey!! I made associate writer at PDA247. Come see my nattering over there!!www.clieuk.co.uk/wm.shtml

Sleepy? Take a Nap...

As we mentioned when it was incorrectly reported on this site that the release of ALP had been "delayed", we've been working with specific licensees and developers on pre-release versions of the PDK and SDK for some time now. One of the things we're showing in Barcelona is Astraware's Bejeweled and Solitaire programs running native on ALP.

As far as devices go, we're not in a position to pre-announce our licensees plans on their behalf. They really don't like that.

RE: Yawn?

David, how about telling us how many devices in what territories by when, in any level of detail you prefer. Surely some of that should be revealable?

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...Hey!! I made associate writer at PDA247. Come see my nattering over there!!www.clieuk.co.uk/wm.shtml

RE: Yawn?

Sorry, it's not my place to do that, at any level of detail. We have had licensees working with versions of the PDK for some time now, just as we've had selected "Inside Track" developers using versions of the SDK. As you can see, Astraware's been working with it for a while now.

RE: Yawn?

info out of Marty's Ars?

Just yankin your chain, Marty. 12-18 months is what we've always been told it takes to go from platform to handset release, what with all the carrier certification and FCC testing added to the development of the product itself.

RE: Yawn?

RE: Yawn?

ALP, the Access Linux Platform, was announced last year and started to go out to equipment manufacturers in late 2006, ACCESS spokeswoman Maureen O'Connell said. At the show today, company representatives said the platform had been released freely to developers and OEMs but that it could still be "12-18 months" before phones appear on retail shelves, ACCESS senior vice president Didier Diaz added.

Yes David, its a troll because its all made up, isn't it. Or was it rude to point to the elephant in the room?

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...Hey!! I made associate writer at PDA247. Come see my nattering over there!!www.clieuk.co.uk/wm.shtml

RE: Yawn?

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...Hey!! I made associate writer at PDA247. Come see my nattering over there!!www.clieuk.co.uk/wm.shtml

RE: Yawn?

An ODM with a good relationship with a carrier can get a new device into the carrier's channels in six months.

Assuming an ODM even adopts ALP. Access still has to clear the first hurdle of finding willing victims for its unfortunate OS...ala Cobalt. "Lookers" at 3GSM don't count. It all comes down to contracts, and so far I don't see any ink being spilled.

RE: Yawn?

It also doesn't help matters that ALP remains shrouded to the masses, as if there is something to hide by limiting the SDK distribution to "select developers" and partners. And it still remains in "pre-release" state.

Notice the hardware requirements? 200mhz minimum, but 400mhz or greater is recommended. Hmm...strange. Where have I heard that before? Oh yes, Windows Mobile! So it appears that ALP is every bit as hardware ravenous as Microsoft's mobile operating system. Let the betting begin - I'll wager you that ALP is a bloat hog, and performs sluggishly on mainstream hardware. That could be a key factor in the delay of this OS.

RE: Yawn?

Usually, but not always. Remember PalmSource announced LG as a licensee before the deal was even signed. But of course that was an act of desperation on Nagel's part to wash away the smell of Cobalt's failure.

RE: Yawn?

It also doesn't help matters that ALP remains shrouded to the masses, as if there is something to hide by limiting the SDK distribution to "select developers" and partners. And it still remains in "pre-release" state.

Pull that stick out of your backside and you'll feel better, Foo.

Well, probably not, actually. If they released the SDK without a beta test you'd be ranting about how they don't care about code quality and will just throw anything over the fence. You know you would.

Notice the hardware requirements? 200mhz minimum, but 400mhz or greater is recommended.

Better get used to it. There's this little thing called Moore's Law and software developers like to take full advantage. You'll get your pre-emptive multitasking, your SQL database engine, your hardware-accelerated graphics, true-type fonts, alpha blending, and JavaScript/CSS-enabled browser engine. But it's not going to run on your Palm V hardware.

It'll be interesting to compare ALP's hardware requirements to those of the version of OS X that Apple plans to put on the iPhone, hmmm? Something tells me you'll be finding other things to whine about on the day that gets revealed.

Suggest you turn your punditry toward something you know more about, or at least give the grandstanding a rest. Your pompous strutting and sniffing wouldn't look so ridiculous if you were discussing topics that weren't so out of your depth.

RE: Yawn?

Apology

Actually, I just came back to apologize to Kent and ask Ryan to moderate that post for me. Not sure why I thought I needed to respond that way. I was annoyed, but after complaining about TVoR's crudeness for a couple of years now I really don't want to be sinking to that level.

To Kent just wanted to say that it's clear your a smart, talented guy with good ideas about how the Palm OS should evolve. Also I certainly understand a healthy skepticism about early stage announcements and releases given what Palm OS users went through with the announcements and releases of Cobalt. I see the things happening with ALP and mobile Linux in a different light and am actually pretty enthusiastic about developments in these areas, but being frustrated that you and others don't share that enthusiasm doesn't justify crude remarks or comments that border on ad hominem attacks. I'm sorry I made them.

RE: Yawn?

I think you're exaggerating, Marty. What mobile device from any of those companies has a Javascript-enabled browser and doesn't have at least 64Mb of program memory? A single web page can eat 10Mb in a modern browser these days. Everyone on your list has gone to 64MB or more for this kind of device, unless there is some fancy FOMA smartphone from Sharp that I don't know about.

RE: Yawn?

Yeah, I've heard that theory, too, and it's possible. The story on the Samsung thing is exceedingly confused. Engadget got it from Ars, saying that they got it from Reuters who got it from "an Apple spokeswoman". I can't find that story on Ars. Then AppleInsider claims "an Apple Germany spokesman" said it was an Intel chip. Then Bill Kirkus of Intel said it wasn't. Then Dario Bucci of Intel Italy said, no, they didn't do it, but it was an XSCALE, so they deserved some of the credit. Then AppleInsider claimed it was Samsung, attributing this news to "people familiar with the handset". So it's (possibly) Samsung--although it's not clear which of theirs it could be to me, and I'm not aware that Samsung is an XSCALE licensee, but maybe I missed something--or it might be Marvell, who bought Intel's XSCALE business a while back--I should have remembered that, but I'm a few time zones off this week...

I can't feel too bad, Engadget forgot that, too: "The iPhone (no, not that iPhone, or this one either) is powered by an Intel processor, right? Afterall, Steve Jobs told us all himself that one of the major reasons for making the switch to Intel was due to their sexy silicon roadmap"...)

Bottom line is, no one knows except the companies involved, and they're not talkin'. Kinda.

But, regardless of vendor, if the iPhone's CPU is running at 200MHz, I'll eat one.

IPhone is Tri-Core ARM !!!

The most hilarious IPhone story I saw was how the IPhone did not just use dual cores, but 3 (count them) 3 ARM cores, and this explained how it could run a grown up OSX on a handheld. I was surprised the fanboys did not run with it, but of course the cores they were talking about were exactly the same cores all smartphones have.

The fanboy version:

The CEO of ARM Holdings plc reported that the iPhone was powered not by one but three ARM-type CPU, and even gave the model: the PXA320. This CPU is manufactured by Marvell and feature 256KB cache L2, a 32-bits memory bus and is clocked at 800MHz, but a 1.2GHz model has been rumored too. For sure there is more than enough power to encode video.We can now understand why Apple did not communicate further in details about the iPhone hardware. First, power consumption needs to be tightly controlled in order to save battery life. One also understand why there is also no details concerning OSX Leopard Mobile, as it requires a multi-CPU management as well as an advanced power management built in the OS. Of course giving a call will only require a small % of this available CPU raw power, and one can expect that Apple did NOT unveiled all the features of this mobile phone.For sure we will know more when the iPhone will be launched at the WWDC 2007 in June.

Further to an "email to the editor" which estimated that there may be three ARM processor cores in the Apple iPhone, reports came forward that the main CPU for the iPhone is a PXA320, formerly the Monahan applications processor from Intel Corp., now supplied by Marvell Technology Group Ltd. The PXA320 is therefore a descendant of the StrongARM processor developed by Digital Equipment Corp. under an architectural license from ARM in the 1990s (see Feb. 1 story).

When asked how many ARM processor cores were in the iPhone, East said his company has a good track record of not talking about customers' products. "ARM is in 90 percent of the world's [mobile phone] handsets; we're in WiFi, baseband processors and applications processors and most of the world's MP3 players. So it's at least three," East said.

and of course the reality that most OEM's are trying to reduce the number of cores their devices require.

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...Hey!! I made associate writer at PDA247. Come see my nattering over there!!www.clieuk.co.uk/wm.shtml

RE: Yawn?

But, regardless of vendor, if the iPhone's CPU is running at 200MHz, I'll eat one.

That's a safe bet.

I got the Samsung rumor through a different source: The taipai times reported that one of the Chinese trade rags reported who the parts suppliers are. Can't recall right now which Chinese trade rag but I did see the report on their web site. They had an article congratulationg a bunch of Chinese companies for being suppliers, and mentioned Samsung as the CPU provider in an aside.

RE: No screenshots?

If it were *me* I'd put a really whiz-bang action title on there to show that this is a huge step up from FrankenGarnet. Something like......Doom? Quake? A racing game? Basically, anything involving 3d and/or a lot of sprites being animated and pushed around onscreen. Bejeweled (not even Bejeweled 2!) is one of the least hardware-intensive titles imaginable. It runs on everything from monochrome OS4 Palm devices to bargain basement cell phones. Not what you associate with a showcase title for a new OS by any means.

No 320x320. I could swear I saw it there before. Will this be a problem for PalmOS native apps? What does this say about ALP on Treos (as if we did not know already). Also no square screen support at all...

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...Hey!! I made associate writer at PDA247. Come see my nattering over there!!www.clieuk.co.uk/wm.shtml

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